Ifyou’ve ever used a GPS device for directions, you might already be acquainted with Karen Jacobsen. As the voice of “Australian-English Karen” in Garmin GPS products, she calmly instructs harried drivers to turn left, go 1.8 miles or “recalculate” their trips every day.

Jacobsen recently spoke with the Chronicle’s Kristin Finan about her sense of direction, being yelled at by strangers and how her virtual gig with Garmin has helped her achieve celebrity status in real life. Some excerpts, edited and condensed:

Q:You started as a singer and voice-over artist in Australia. How do you feel about being an American GPS icon?

A: Isn’t it the funniest thing? I’m in millions of cars right now telling people where to go. I find it hysterical.

Q:When you were hired as the voice of Australian-English Karen, you didn’t know your words were going to be used for GPS devices. What was your reaction?

A: It was such a thrill and became even more of a thrill when people from all over the world started to contact me. I’ve had so many fun, entertaining experiences because people find it so novel that I’m in their GPS system.

Q:Have you ever been in the car and listened to yourself give directions?

A: (Laughs). Yes. I was sitting in the backseat with some friends who have me in their GPS system, and I — as in Australian Karen in the Garmin GPS — was giving them directions they didn’t really want. So they asked me in the backseat if I knew a different route. We really had a giggle about that, because it was really backseat driving.

Q:How is your sense of direction?

A: This is going to sound a little ironic, but I have an excellent sense of direction.

Q:What are your favorite GPS-related words to say?

A: “Recalculating.” I thought about calling my next album Recalculating. I just love that word. People say it’s their least-favorite word (to hear when driving), but it’s my favorite to say.

Q:Have you considered incorporating your GPS experiences into your albums?

A: I have a new album I’m recording right now that I’m planning to release in the fall, and I have a song called Take a Little Drive. I wrote it before I found out I was in the GPS system. It’s an irony that it lined up that way, but I’m going to use that as the title track.

Q:Are you aware of any problems with the directions you give?

A: I’ve had a few people tell me from different parts of the country that when the letters “dr” come up, as in “drive,” my voice in the GPS will say “doctor.” In New York there’s a main road in Manhattan called FDR Drive, and I’m told that my voice in the GPS system says “FDR doctor.” I’m not sure why that happens, but people find that either amusing or annoying depending on how many times they’ve heard it.

Q:People love to yell at their GPS devices. How does it feel to know that people around the world are yelling at you?

A: I think it’s better that they’re yelling at me than at each other. Maybe in some kind of strange way I’m actually helping to keep the communication between the family going, because they get to vent their anger at me instead of each other.

Q:Do you think there should be a way for the GPS to talk back?

A: That would be so great. (Perhaps) a certain trigger word, if the machine hears it, there’s a response that comes back. I think that’s brilliant.

Q:What kind of driver are you?

A: I’m a confident driver.

Q:Have you had any experiences driving in Houston?

A: Houston blew me away. I was fine, but it took my breath away. I found it incredibly speedy. I’ve driven all over the world, but I really felt like, “Wow, I’m really in a warp-speed zone here.”

Q:What sort of reactions do you get when people find out that you’re the GPS voice?

A: I was a celebrity judge at an event in the city last month, and they read out my bio, and people were so excited that I was the GPS girl. I was signing autographs. I have this, like, celebrity status from being the nameless, faceless voice in the GPS system. It’s really terrific fun for everybody.

Q:Why do you like being the “GPS girl?”

A: It surprises me what a big part of people’s lives their GPS voice is. I’ve had people write to me and tell me, “You’re a part of my family.” I know it’s not really me there, I know it’s just a voice in the machine, but for me, I feel like I’m connecting with people all over the world.